Modernizing wildland fire management in Ontario

Ontario is building stronger and more resilient communities by addressing the growing risks of wildland fires with changes to the Forest Fires Prevention Act and modernizing the wildland program. To help keep communities safe the Ministry of Natural Resources is working with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and industry, to reduce the risks and impacts of wildland fires. These changes seek to expand prevention and mitigation activities and ensure stronger rules and consequences are in place for those that don’t follow wildland fire laws to reduce the risk of unwanted human-caused wildland fires. Based on our review of input provided from the public, Indigenous communities and organizations, municipalities, industry, fire and emergency response personnel, and other stakeholders, the following proposals are being considered as potential amendments to the Forest Fires Prevention Act (FFPA): · Clarify authority for the Minister to enter into agreements on all aspects of wildland fire management with, amongst others, municipalities, other governments or jurisdictions, Indigenous communities, and industry. · Require municipalities and certain industries in the fire region to have a wildland fire management plan that meets prescribed standards as set out in regulation. This could be updating an existing plan or preparing a new plan. · Clarify the Minister's order power to prohibit activities in areas that have been declared a wildland fire emergency area, and provide the Minister with the authority to issue a permit allowing certain activities in certain circumstances. · Create a new power for the Minister to issue a remediation order as an alternative to laying formal charges under the Act. · Enable the Minister to set out standard rates, terms and conditions when privately owned equipment and operators are used to respond to wildland fires and wildland fire emergency events. · Enable administrative monetary penalties to address non-compliance with the Act and provide for an opportunity for review of the penalty. · Revise cost recovery requirements to eliminate the automatic establishment of debt to the Crown, thereby enabling the Minister to exercise discretion in determining whether the costs of suppressing or extinguishing a human-caused fire and any associated damages will be recovered. · Modernize and update enforcement provisions, including increasing the maximum fine and maximum imprisonment period for individuals, and creating specific roles, powers and responsibilities for different types of officers, and · Administrative amendments, including changing the name of the Act to the Wildland Fire Management Act, adding a purpose section and updating definitions.